New Waves— Over the last 32 years, China’s remarkable growth has shown that Western-style modernism is not the only route to modernization, writes Eric Li for the Christian Science Monitor.

Prisoners of the State — There are likely hundreds of Lebanese in Syrian prisons. The few who have emerged give us a sense of what the regime’s new prisoners can expect. And, reports Rania Abouzeid from Beirut, it’s grim picture.

‘Silver or Lead’ — In the New Yorker, William Finnegan investigates Mexican drug violence — or “corpse messaging,” as its called. The drug cartels give local officials a stark, impossible choice: Take a bribe or take a bullet.

Bombs are Back — Will yesterday’s terror attack at a tourist cafe in Marrakesh hurt efforts at reform within Morrocco? ask TIME’s Lisa Abend and Bruce Crumley.